Nick Kyrgios savours journey to Wimbledon semis and showdown with Nadal

By News / Wire

Nick Kyrgios is tipping his blockbuster with Rafael Nadal to be “the most-watched match of all-time” after casting aside his domestic dramas to gatecrash the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time.

Kyrgios had too much firepower for Cristian Garin, eliminating the unseeded Chilean 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-5) in two hours, 13 minutes on Wednesday – barely 24 hours after being summonsed to a Canberra court over an assault allegation.

The 27-year-old is required in the ACT Magistrates Court on August 2 to potentially face a common assault charge amid reports he grabbed his former girlfriend Chiara Passari in an incident before Christmas last year.

But, first, Kyrgios must focus on Nadal after booking a dream last-four showdown with the 22-times major winner on Friday.

It will be the enigmatic 27-year-old’s long-awaited maiden grand slam semi after losing quarter-finals to Milos Raonic at Wimbledon in 2014 and to Andy Murray at the 2015 Australian Open.

“I just never thought I’d be at a semi-finals of a grand slam. I thought my ship had sailed,” an emotional Kyrgios said.

“Honestly, I didn’t go about things great earlier in my career and I thought I may have wasted that little window.”

Tennis’s most gifted yet volatile talent described his journey to his first grand slam semi as “rocky”.

“Honestly, at the start of the year, I didn’t even know if I wanted to really play like a proper schedule at all. I don’t really play a proper schedule now,” Kyrgios said.

“I obviously had thoughts the last year, year and a half, whether I wanted to play anymore. Lost the love, lost the fire, lost the spark.

“Then some things just changed in my life. I don’t know. I kind of just rediscovered that I’ve got a lot of people that want me to play, that I play for.

“I’ve got a lot left in the tank. I feel like I’m probably playing some of my best tennis, mentally feeling great.

“It’s been a long road. I think it was a seven, eight-year gap to make a quarter-final here from my first one. It’s been a heck of a ride.”

The lowest moment, he said, came three years ago.

“Obviously I posted this year about the kind of mental state I was in in 2019 when I was at the Australian Open with self-harm and suicidal thoughts and stuff,” Kyrgios said.

“Just how things can change. There was a point where I was almost done with the sport.”

Now Kyrgios is the first Australian to progress to the men’s singles semi-finals at the All England Club since 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt made the last four 17 years ago.

And, fittingly, he will square off once more with Nadal – eight years since he caused a sensation as a teenage world No.144 on his Wimbledon debut by knocking out the world No.1.

Nadal turned the tables with a four-set second-round defeat of Kyrgios in 2019.

Little wonder Kyrgios said it would be extra special to face the most prolific grand slam singles champion in men’s tennis for a spot in Sunday’s final.

“We’ve had some absolute battles on that centre court. He’s won one against me, and I’ve won one against him,” Kyrgios said.

“Two completely different personalities. I feel like we respect the hell out of each other, though. I feel like that would be a mouth-watering kind of encounter for everyone around the world.

“That would probably be the most-watched match of all time. I would argue that.”

Continuing his quest for the first calendar-year grand slam since Rod Laver in 1969, Nadal overcame a painful abdominal injury to outlast American 11th seed Taylor Fritz 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) in a fifth-set super-tiebreaker in Wednesday’s last quarter-final.

Three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic and British ninth seed Cameron Norrie will feature in Friday’s other semi.

The Crowd Says:

2022-07-08T21:42:03+00:00

JOHN ALLAN

Guest


Two observations. Firstly Kyrgios on this upcoming court appearance in August “I’m keeping my mouth shut on the matter”. That’s new ground for him. From the time, Mummy picked up his dummy every time he spat it out & bawled to his regular “dummy spits” as an adult (according to his birth certificate) when he doesn’t get his own way. Secondly he has had quite a few girlfriends. Apart from the financial aspect, the jerk has nothing going for him!

2022-07-08T12:26:02+00:00

Chris Love

Roar Guru


Yep. Charged means nothing in todays climate of such allegations against athletes.

2022-07-07T13:52:19+00:00

Marty

Roar Rookie


So you’re ‘rooting’ for the guy who’s been charged with a DV offence? Nice.

2022-07-07T13:25:38+00:00

Chris Love

Roar Guru


I’m not a fan of NK’s antics on court and I’ve been critical of him in posts on this forum. But I can’t help but think the police have made an error in charging him at this time. We know of many cases where accusations have been made and police have charged high profile athletes with everything from hung juries, to dismissals, to clear cases of the ‘victims’ making stuff up out of spite (Semi Radradra anyone?). With that in mind, if they have this wrong and he’s innocent then the timing of this is really bad. The guy is in the middle of a career defining run at a grand slam. With form that suggests that if he has his mind on the job can take out the tittle. Anything short of that tittle will at least in part, be partially attributed to the extra mental anguish he had to endure, the loss of sleep etc in having to deal with this extra burden. Considering ACT police couldn’t have progressed this legal process until he got home. What benefit did they have in preferring charges in the middle of the tournament? Would it have hurt them or the case to hold off a week or until the day after he was knocked out which could have been a day or two? It just doesn’t make sense to me. Could it be that police think he’s guilty of something but don’t think they have enough to ensure a conviction? Hence by going ahead with it they get to ensure he’s punished at least in some way if it effects his championship run? Had I gotten wind of this on the quiet and knew they were waiting for him to be knocked out, or the tournament to be over, I’d be rooting for Nadal/Joker heavily. And I never root against Aussies. The fact they didn’t has me now firmly hoping he wins this title. Just in case he’s innocent.

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